Kenny Pickett's out.
And ... uh, wow.
A few minutes ago, the Steelers traded their starting quarterback of the past two seasons, their first-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the kid who grew up next door in starring for Pitt, to the Eagles for an exchange of future picks. This follows a tumultuous week at the roster's most important position in which Russell Wilson was signed out of free agency and Mason Rudolph left as a free agent for the Titans.
Leaving all three of the team's 2023 quarterbacks out, including Mitch Trubisky, who left as a free agent for the Bills.
Leaving Wilson all alone in the room.
And you know, if I'm being all-the-way honest, all of this, even the Pickett trade, feels just as surprising ... as it doesn't, given Pickett's outspoken pride about believing in himself as an NFL starter.
But man, I've got questions. I'm sure everyone's got questions, not least of which would be:
• If anyone associated with the Steelers was even peripherally aware Pickett would want out, why would management not extend Rudolph so much as a single contract offer? If this is the case, seriously, who's at the wheel?
• Who's next? Justin Fields as a project of sorts? Another older quarterback?
• Does Pickett really expect he'll have a better shot in Philadelphia than here, with Jalen Hurts entrenched to the extreme with the Eagles?
• Who deserves the bulk of the blame for turning a recent first-rounder into a late third-rounder and two seventh-rounders?
• Is Ben Roethlisberger still available?
This isn't intended to be a full column. That'll come later. Just wanted to slap something up here for the time being and for conversation purposes as I'm about to go live with Ramon Foster on our YouTube channel at 4 p.m. Eastern. Feel free to join us:
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